UK: Unilever overcomes cost pressures

Unilever today said underlying sales rose 7.2% at the start of this year after the company acted to recover sharply higher costs.

The consumer products firm, which makes Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Dove soap, said more than half of the first quarter increase – 4.8% – came from price hikes. It is the fifth quarter in a row that Unilever has posted sales growth in excess of 5%.